What's Wrong with the Business Environment and What to Do about It

In her new book, Africa's Private Sector: What's Wrong with the Business Environment and What to Do about It, Vijaya Ramachandran and her colleagues Alan Gelb and Manju Kedia Shah of CGD examine private sector perspectives on the constraints to business health and economic growth in Africa .



The authors address the question: What are the barriers to private sector growth in Africa , and how can they be overcome? Among other findings, based on thousands of firm surveys and independent research, the authors find that lack of roads and unreliable power not only increase costs, but distort competition and reduce firm size. Regulatory burdens further fragment and overtax business, leaving Africa at a competitive disadvantage.



Vijaya is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development. Check out her bio and the book at www.cgdev.org. Then join us for a provocative discussion.